The development of a novel curriculum to address past sexual assault

Recognizing and Responding to the Commonly Misunderstood Reactions to Sexual Assault: Evaluation of an Online Curriculum

Background: Sexual assault remains a serious public health issue with significant impacts on the health and well-being of individual women. Many women's reactions and behaviors post sexual assault are not well understood by the general public, or more worrying, among professionals to whom women frequently turn to for help. An innovative and evidence-informed online curriculum was developed to educate health and social service providers about the range of possible psychological responses and associated behaviors post sexual assault and to better equip them in supporting survivors in their recovery. Methods: The curriculum was evaluated using pre- and post-training tests designed to measure changes in fact-based knowledge, self-assessed knowledge, and procedural knowledge, that is, perceived competency. Results: A total of 759 participants registered to complete the curriculum between July 2018 and July 2019 and 175 completed both the pre- and post-training surveys. Data analyses showed significant improvement in the mean number of correct answers to the fact-based knowledge, self-reflection, and procedural knowledge questions from pre- to post-training. The response to the training was also very positive. Conclusions: The online curriculum was effective in improving participants' knowledge about and response to women who, in the aftermath of a sexual assault, may exhibit reactions or behaviors that are commonly misunderstood.

An Exploration of Sexual Assault Survivors' Discourse Online on Help-Seeking

Although sexual assault is associated with significant negative psychological health outcomes, few survivors seek support from formal providers. This study explored the barriers to accessing and benefitting from services for sexual assault, as disclosed in narrative posts on social media, using qualitative methodology. Of the 1,179 narratives posted to the subreddit'r/rapecounseling' that were reviewed, 81 data extracts from 52 women were included in this study based on predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Six themes were identified that prevented survivors from accessing or benefitting from help. Internal barriers included feeling overwhelmed and avoidance-based coping. External barriers included availability of services, suitability of services, and therapist-caused harms. Stigma was the only barrier that was experienced both internally and externally. These findings suggest a need for more supportive mental health services.